


Beneath the Thorns

by TheInitialsAre



Series: The Garden [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Bullying, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Private School, Racism, Rating May Change, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21698398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInitialsAre/pseuds/TheInitialsAre
Summary: There’s an old saying known far and wide, ranging from the young and reckless to the old and perceptive: ‘When Life gives you lemons, you make lemonade’; No matter the misfortunes and conflicts you face, just keep your head held high and make the best out of it.Unless your name is Alexander Anderson.A boy born into a society that despises his heritage, a flawed mix of black and white blood.An unfortunate circumstance that caused him to be harassed and tormented by adults and his peers.A circumstance that altered his mental state, as he started to hear voices in his head.At the young age of just 15, Alex is entering his Senior year of private school (a highly impressive feat for someone such as him), but alas, with last-year opportunities brings forth the struggles within.And just to think that all it took was a simple letter in the mail.Needless to say, if Life were to hand Alex lemons, he would kindly give them back, turn around and walk away.Well, what would he use them for anyway?He doesn’t like lemons.
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: The Garden [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564492
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Language

_ Sunday, August 16th,_ _2015 _

_7:58 PM_

_ Well, it’s that time of the year again._

_ I will say that I am going to miss spending summer vacation at home doing nothing but watching movies all night and sleeping in until noon, and having the ability to actually eat a full breakfast meal instead of a microwaved hot pocket is both a blessing and a curse. _

_ Because once all the food has been eaten, you realize how much of a mess was made in order to prepare and cook that food. _

_ So, not exactly a fun time if you’re one of those people who really have a deep-seated hatred for washing dishes. _

_ Fortunately, that person is not me. (It’s really relaxing, surprisingly!) _

_ But, I didn’t press pause on my busy, daily life of watching some classic Tom & Jerry and eating popcorn to talk about the joys of dishwashing… _

_ No. I have some news. _

_ And I would like to share it. _

_ Because sharing is caring. _

_ And I, most certainly, do care. _

_ Okay so a few weeks ago, I received a letter in the mail from my school, which I thought was a little weird because of the fact that they had never sent me any letters as long as I’ve been enrolled there. _

_ I wasn’t really sure what was gonna be inside that envelope once I got my hands on it, but I didn’t think it was anything bad. It could have been my schedule for all I knew. Or maybe they were changing up the system and wanted to try something new, hence the letter. _

_ Mom thought for sure that I had gotten expelled. _

_ Now, I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions at the time but… _

_ Yeah, I thought I got expelled too. _

_ Which would have been completely unfair and uncalled for since I am such a well-behaved student and the best person to use as a role model. (Not really, but all my many flaws can be overlooked.) _

_ Anyway, so there we were, Mom and I just sitting on the couch in the living room and staring at that letter like it was the plague. Neither one of us wanted to open it so we decided to play a little game to see who would be the one to do it. _

_ I know, a really dumb idea at the time, but what can I say? We were both on edge. _

_ So I chose rock, paper, scissors. She agreed. _

_ We played for a few rounds before it was decided that I had ultimately lost. _

_ Nineteen times in a row. (I’m counting that as a record. How could I suck so bad?!) _

_ So I manned up and tore open the envelope with no hesitation and pulled out the letter that was folded inside, and wasted no time in unfolding it to read what it said. _

_ I read it once, then twice, then three times before Mom decided to lean over and see what it said herself. I guess she got impatient since I had gone quiet for no reason. _

_ Before I knew it, she was yelling and hugging the daylights out of me, giving me her gross Mom kisses on my cheek and screaming ‘Oui! Oui! Oui!’ over and over. _

_ And of course, I joined her. _

_ I got promoted to Senior. _

_ An entire grade level skipped thanks to all of my hard work and dedication to waking up early in the morning and not having second thoughts about whether or not having an education is worth it. _

_ But it all paid off in the end. _

_ Also, I’m not sure why but I’ve been selected to participate in the Talent Search Program, which isn’t a bad thing per se, it's just… _

_ I’m not interested. _

_ Sure it’s a great way to discover what you’re good at or what you strive in (in a legal sense, at least), but if anyone has paid attention to our society in the last few decades, they’ll see why I’m not down for it. _

_ A mixed kid being involved in anything just spells out trouble. _

_ Too stuck-up and psychotic to be in one culture and too dumb and dangerous to be in the other. _

_ The poor fate of being stuck in two different worlds. _

_ But oh well, what can I do about it? I’m just a fish in a sea of hungry sharks; it doesn’t matter what I do or where I go since I’ll just get eaten anyway. _

_ But if the Lion King taught me anything when I was growing up, is that even if I’m devoured and digested in a really gross manner, eventually, one of those sharks will die (a horrible, gruesome death) and float down to the bottom of the ocean and get eaten by all the secondary marine life. _

_ The Lion King calls it the ‘Circle of Life’, and while I agree with that term, it doesn’t necessarily fit this description. _

_ If anything, I, personally, would like to call it… _

_ Revenge. _

_ -Alex _

The notebook closed with a muffled_ snap! _ and he shoved his light blue mechanical pencil into the tiny prongs and put it away inside his nightstand near his bed, shuffling some old papers to hide it from sight.

** _‘Y’know… if I spent all my time writing about my problems I’d never get anything done’_ **

He didn’t respond right away, opting instead to shuffle more of the papers inside the drawer to occupy him from answering.

** _‘Dude, there’s literally only five sheets of paper in that drawer. You can only move them around but so much’_ **

He let out a deep breath and closed his drawer shut, rubbing the side of his head in annoyance, being mindful of the black-rimmed eyewear on his face. _ ‘Would you please, just… be quiet for a little bit, okay?’ _

** _‘Hey! I’m just trying to be helpful here!’_ **

_ ‘Well, it’s not working’ _

** _‘Hmph! Sourpuss…’_ ** He reached for the lamp on his nightstand and switched it off, encasing the room in a veil of darkness. The only light that shone through was the rich essence of the Moon through his window curtains, baring all its’ glory upon his fragile being. He moved around on his bed to pull the covers from underneath him, grunting and straining from the effort once he realized he would have to get off the bed and pull back the covers, you know, something that a normal person would do.

But alas, laziness is a virtue.

He squirmed and struggled to achieve his goal, not willing to give up despite the odds stacked against him. He will succeed no matter what!

The sharp_ tsk! _ of teeth being sucked was heard, followed by a loud, drawn-out exhale so completely drained of life it was a wonder it had held on for this long. ** _‘For fucks’ sake Alex, just get up already!’_ **

But Alex was determined to win and too stubborn to give up without a fight, even if it did cost him a few precious seconds of blissful sleep.

** _‘If you’re calling this a fight, then I can’t imagine how you’ll do in a real one’_ **

_ ‘Oh shut up…’ _ He mumbled some more incoherent words before finally, _finally_, getting his cover to cooperate with his constant writhing movements and managed to pull it out from underneath him. He sighed in satisfaction and lays in bed for a few moments, trying to catch his bearings of wrestling with his bedspread for a good three minutes and some change. He wipes a light sheen of sweat off his forehead before he aimlessly began playing with his hair, running his fingers through the thick, messy curls.

He chuckled lightly, tugging his glasses off and placing them in the case on his nightstand, still absentmindedly playing with his hair. _ ‘See? I told you I could do it’ _

A grumble was all that he heard and he chuckled again, grey eyes twinkling in amusement in the darkness before he grabbed his cover and tossed it over his body, making sure to leave his feet out so he wouldn’t get too hot.

He looked at the digital clock on his nightstand, the bright red numbers staring back at him in the darkness: 8:36 PM.

He turned over and closed his eyes, deciding that he had enough of the real world for another day.

** _‘Ahem! Aren’t you forgetting something?’_ **

His eyes snapped open to the bleary darkness of his room, making many of the items located around him to blend and mix into oddly-shaped objects of various sizes. Some were prominent enough to not have caught his attention at all; being quite obvious on what they really were even in the dark (side dresser, lamp, curtains), so easily ignored.

His mirror, however, was a different story.

He rubbed his eyes and turned over onto his other side to check his clock, taking note that only two minutes had gone by. _ ‘What do you want now?’ _

He heard a sharp intake of breath, almost as if the one in question was deeply offended by such a statement. ** _‘Well, I never! And here I am reminding you of something important! Hmph!’_ **

Alex rolled his eyes and went back to staring at the clock. Only a minute had gone by since then. _ ‘Answer my question. What do you want?’ _

A moment of silence followed afterward, and Alex felt more of his patience draining away with every second ticking by, especially once he read the time on the clock. _ ‘Alastar!’ _

The now-named Alastar let out an exasperated huff of air and said: ** _‘… you forgot to say goodnight’_ **

If he had the time and energy to be angry right now, he would be raging in absolute fury. He’s losing valuable amounts of sleep, all because of a ridiculous problem. A problem that could have been resolved the very next day, once he was able-minded and well-rested.

Instead of prolonging the situation, he decided to just deal with it. God only knows how he survived this long like this. _ ‘Okay! Alright! Goodnight!' _

As if a flip was switched, Alastar happily wished him **‘Goodnight!’** and finally receded further into his conscious, leaving his head blessedly empty for the time being. But he didn’t want to jinx this moment, so he turned back around to his usual spot and settled down to get comfortable again, quickly drifting off into the realm of the unknown.

* * *

_ When he opened his eyes, it was not to his alarm clock with its’ brightly red digital numbers; nor was it to his plain white ceiling, speckled with tiny shaded dots and a smoke alarm that illuminated green… _

_ No, instead, it was to a beautiful, starry night sky, and the Moon was glowing in a strange, otherworldly fashion; it was full and yellow rather than its’ usual pristine white hue, making the little rabbit in its’ craters visible to all far and wide. He felt a small chill travel down his spine when the stars began to twinkle, feeling a surge of emotion course through his body that made his eyes water for reasons unknown. _

_ There was just something about looking up to the Moon on a clear night sky that made your mind go completely numb, and makes your body tremble with unwanted sensations that would either leave you begging for more or desperate to make it stop. _

_ And at this point, Alex didn’t want it to stop. _

_ Suddenly he heard a scream, and the strange spell he was under was broken like a frail twig being snapped in two. His vision began to clear from his trance and he finally focused on his surroundings, giving his body a chance or two to catch up on what was happening. _

_ He knew up above was the night sky so that was not a cause for concern, at least. He looked to his left and was met with a face full of grass and an empty, open field; the sharp blades of grass poking him in the cheek and nose. He looked to his right and came to the same barren land, not a single soul around for perhaps miles. _

_ His brows furrowed in absolute confusion as he began to sit up, feeling the sluggish movements of his body from being consumed by the Moon. He turned his head this way and that, just to make sure he was truly the only person in this field and that he wasn’t just hearing things. But after the third time of scoping out the area and coming up empty, he began to have serious doubts about his mental state. _

_ “There’s no one here…” He said aloud, partially to state a fact, but mostly as a means to reassure himself that he was all alone in this vast meadow of silence and nothingness. _

_ And that didn’t make him feel any better. _

_ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that it would calm his nerves and rest his mind, at least for a little while. _

_ “Alex” The sudden whisper of his name far too close to his ear made him flinch away from the sound, not at all expecting that. He opened his eyes and looked around widely, trying to find the person or thing that made that noise only to find the field still unsettlingly empty. A chill traveled down his spine, sensing that he wasn’t alone anymore… or perhaps, he was never alone to begin with. _

_ He quickly stood up from the ground, not bothering to clear away the dirt and grime that stuck to his clothes. The sense of being watched seemed to have doubled the moment he got up and took a deep, shaky breath through his nose. His eyes were as wide as the Moon up above, which was still glowing in that eerie-like manner and making the situation even worse. _

_ His instincts were going haywire. The impulse on whether to fight or flight was rapidly overshadowing his common sense and logic at the moment, but it wasn’t a difficult choice to make. _

_ Besides, he had a feeling deep in his gut that who or whatever was here with him wasn’t anything that was living or breathing. _

_ He picked a direction at random and started walking, trying his hardest to not break out into a full-on sprint when the feeling of being watched didn’t go away. He didn’t know where he was going (or where he even was to begin with), but if it was far away from here, then anywhere was better. And the farther away he was from this weird place, the more chances he had to regain a bit of his sanity back. _

_ Maybe. If he even lost it in the first place. _

_ A sudden chill in the air startled him to an almost standstill and he brought his arms up to wrap around his body in a vague sense of warmth and possible protection. He tripped and nearly fell over a patch of overgrown grass in his haste to leave the area, feeling the grass digging its’ sharp blades into the sides of his feet. He frowned at that, and a glance down at his current attire revealed a pair of faded cargo shorts and flip-flops, and a black short-sleeved shirt with a graphic design to an old children's movie. _

_ His frown deepened when he caught sight of the picture on his shirt, and it was almost enough to completely stop him in his tracks if he wasn’t so determined to get out of this place. Being mindful of his steps now, he moved one of his arms to pull out the bottom of the shirt to fully see what was actually on it after giving it that first glance. _

_ It was a picture of the Looney Tunes characters, or at least, the ones that were the most memorable out of the entire series. It included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, and the Tasmanian Devil. Though what struck out the most in the picture was the fact that they were all wearing basketball shorts and jerseys with the logo ‘TuneSquad’ printed on the front of their shirts, minus Marvin who was dressed as a referee with a whistle in his mouth. He paused mid-stride and took a hard look at his shirt, momentarily forgetting that he needed to get farther and farther away from this place. It was impossible for him to still have this shirt in good condition (or have this shirt period), and for it to fit him perfectly for that matter… _

_ “This can’t be right…” He whispered, and in a hurry, he pulled his arms inside the sleeves and turned the shirt around just to see if there was anything there, hoping that the back of it would be nothing but a blank space. _

_ But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. _

_ The moment he caught sight of the Space Jam logo he felt his heart skip a beat and his breathing began to quicken in a fit of dread and anxiety. _

_ This wasn’t right… none of this was right… _

_ And the last time he had seen (and worn) this shirt was a very long time ago. He couldn’t have been any older than… five, maybe? Four? _

_ “Alex!” The sudden scream of his name jolted him out of his mind and his head snapped towards the direction of the sound. _

_ That voice… it sounded familiar, somehow… as if it were his… _

_ “Mama…” With no hesitation, he sprinted towards the direction the voice came from. He didn’t know how, why, or what his Mother was doing in a place like this, but he knew one thing for certain… _

_ They both had to get out of here now. _

_ “Mama!” He called out to her, hoping that she would hear his shouts and meet him somewhere halfway. “Mama! Where are you?!” _

_ “Alex!” The scream came again, this time from the complete opposite direction he was running to. He stopped, turned around and immediately began shooting off in the distant, his breath coming out in harsh puffs of air as he called out for her again. “Mama!” _

_ “Alex! Al-e-eex!!” Her voice sounded as if it were a broken record. Like she was trying her best to hold back her tears of fear and frustration of trying to find him in this empty field. Alex even felt his tears began to seep from his eyes at the thought of hearing his Mother this desperate to find him. _

_ He wiped them away so he could see clearly and ignored the way his breath hitched every time he breathed in and out. He had to find her. He had to find her now. _

_ “Mama! Mama!!” _

_ “Alex!!” Her voice shouted from a different direction once again, and without thinking that it was strange Alex began heading towards the sound, his heart thundered in his chest with every breath and step he took. His eyes burned from his unshed tears and he once again tried desperately to wipe them away, but this time with no success. He could taste the salt-like substance as it fell into his mouth with every breath he took, momentarily quenching his too-dry throat as he continued his frantic sprint towards his Mother. _

_ “Alex! Alex!” Her voice echoed, this time from different directions and he forced himself to stop his run to try and pin-point her exact location. He turned this way and that, getting disoriented from the combination of the yelling voices and his body ready to shut down from all the exertion he put on it. He knew that the moment he stopped he wouldn’t be able to go on any further, so he took the chance to take some deep, powerful breaths so he wouldn’t pass out. _

_ He put his hands on his knees and took more precious gulps of air, savoring every last one as if they were his last. His lungs were screaming at him to sit down and rest, even for a little while so that everything would stop spinning, but he knew he couldn’t; He couldn’t rest not even for a second until he found his Mother and left this place. _

_ No matter what it takes. _

_ The sound of footsteps startled him to stand up and look around to see who was walking in the area, but the field was still empty, save for him and whatever else was here. As they drew closer he tensed up and his body locked in place as a result of his fear. He closed his eyes when he heard the footsteps come to a complete stop right behind him and he held his breath, waiting for the impending doom. _

_ A hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched away accidentally, letting out a choked noise that sounded much like a sob. _

_ “Alex?” The soft murmur of his Mother’s voice snapped his eyes open in shock and utter disbelief. He released a gasp of air from holding his breath for so long and took desperate gulps to calm his racing heart. He turned around, expecting his Mother’s beautiful face and (possibly) frantic expression from looking for him all over in this barren wasteland, instead… _

_ He jumped away from her in absolute terror once he caught sight of her face, or if he could even call it that. _

_ Her face was a twisted, malformed image of something directly out of a horror movie. Instead of the standard eyes, mouth, and nose, it was just a gaping black hole, like he could put his entire arm through her face and it would disappear into the endless void. It was a wonder how she was yelling and screaming his name just moments before, let alone even talking. _

_ And it terrified him to the core. _

_ The thing masquerading as his Mother took a step towards him, still with its’ hand stretched out as if pleading with him to remain calm. The same hand that had gently touched his shoulder now a rotten piece of nothing but blackened flesh and bone, the color completely burnt off as if it had been cast in flames the moment it let go of him. _

_ He took two steps back and the thing took a single, small step forward as if it were struggling to place each foot in front of the other. It still had its’ hand outstretched in the same placating manner, doing little to calm down his rising fear. “Ma… Mama… What… How…” His voice trembled from how badly he was shaking. He just wanted to turn around and run for his life, despite everything it took him to get here. _

_ But before he could contemplate that idea the thing grabbed him by his shoulders and forcefully brought him close to its’ face. He couldn’t even let out the scream that was trapped in his throat before the thing whispered in a voice that was eerily similar to the sound from the Grudge movie. _ ** _“Waaaaake… Uuuuuup”_ **

_ He couldn’t even function properly with the amount of fear and tension rising inside him, so all he could do was mutter a quiet, “… what?” _

_ The thing brought him even closer and repeated in the same whispery voice, this time releasing a strange, black smoke from the gaping hole in its’ face. _ ** _“Waaaaake… Uuuuuup”_ **

_ Alex frowned, fear temporarily being replaced by confusion on what the thing was saying. Wake up? Why would he need to wake up? He couldn’t have been asleep. Whatever this place was was too realistic to be considered just a nightmare. He felt the cold, hard ground when he was lying on it a moment ago, and felt the grass tickling his skin through his clothes. He felt tired from his panic-induced run and the thing grabbing him by the shoulders was definitely very real. _

_ He wasn’t dreaming. He wasn’t asleep. _

_ This was all real. _

_ Suddenly the thing tightens its grip on his shoulders and pulled him closer into the endless void that was its’ face, black smoke completely blocked his vision to where he couldn’t see anything but darkness. He yelped and tried to pull away, but the thing held on strong and pulled him closer and closer until his face was literally inside the blackened hole. _

_ No words could describe how terrified he was feeling of being inside this things’ empty abyss of a face, so he did the only thing he could think of… _

_ He screamed. _

_ Before he knew it he was consumed entirely into the things’ face. There was nothing around except an inky-black abyss of emptiness. _

_ It was so dark he couldn’t tell if there was anything here, and the silence was unnerving, too. There was no wind blowing, no sound of trees rustling in the breeze or even grass being crunched under someone’s shoes. He wasn’t standing on anything either, just floating around in this sea of blackness. _

_ Just… nothing. _

_ If he had to choose between the barren wasteland of the field and this, he would gladly accept the field in a heartbeat, no questions asked. _

_ This was really starting to make him question whether or not he was just having a night terror. _

_ Or maybe he had finally lost it. _

_ Perhaps both. _

** _“Alex…”_ ** _ The sudden whisper of his name startled him back into focusing on his surroundings and turned his head from one way to the other to see if there was another unlucky soul who was trapped in here like him. _

_ But it came up empty. _

_ He took a deep, shaky breath to try and calm his unsettled nerves. _

_ At least he was used to this already. Kind of. _

_ The only problem was that there was nowhere for him to run to, or even hide. Just this dark abyss of nothing. _

** _“Alex… please…” _ ** _ The voice was back, this time saying more than just his name. _

_ So, Alex, very reluctantly, gave in. “W-What d-do you w-want?” _

** _“Wake… up”_ **

_ He frowned, still confused about how that would solve anything. “But… why? How?” _

** _“Wake… up”_ **

_ “But I… I don’t know how. Please, just… help me… p-please” He was close to tears at this point. _

_ He just wanted to leave, and go home. _

** _“Be quiet…”_ ** _ A second voice said out of nowhere, making him jump in fear. _ ** _ “They’re watching… they’re listening… can’t trust them” _ ** _ Their tone sounded as if they were nervous about something, bordering on hysterical, but what it was Alex didn’t know, nor did he care. _

_ “Who’s there?! Please! Help me, please” _

** _“They’re fools…”_ ** _ A third voice said, their tone filled with irritation. _ ** _“Stay here, and cower… or leave, and die”_ **

_ “W-What?! That’s… That’s insane! I can’t stay here! Please! I have to go home!” _

** _“They’re right…”_ ** _ Another voice whispered, their tone resigned and more subdued than the others as if they were in mourning. _ ** _“There is no point… just give up… and die”_ **

_ “N-No! Please! I don’t want to die! Please, I’ll do anything! Just let me go home!” _

** _“Such a shame…”_ ** _ Another voice chimed in, their tone more mocking than sincere and filled with far too much sarcasm. _ ** _“That’s all it takes… for you to give in…”_ **

_ Alex choked on a sob and bit his lip to hold it in. “I-I-I just… want t-to go… home… please…” _

** _“And you will… but first, you have to wake up…”_ **

_ “But how?!” _

** _“Wake up…”_ **

_ “Just tell me!” _

** _“Wake up…”_ **

** _“Wake up…”_ **

** _‘-AKE UP ALEX!’_ **

His eyes snapped open and he took in a sharp, powerful gasp of air and let it out slowly in quivering, labored pants. He sat up in bed, feeling the dampness of his sheets from how much he was sweating in his sleep and grimaced at the unpleasantness of it. _ ‘Dang it. I just washed these’ _

He got out of bed and stripped his sheets off, being mindful of his cover and pillowcases so they wouldn’t fall on the floor, and rolled them up into a messy ball and placed them on the floor at the foot of his bed. He walked to his bed and straighten out the cover and pillows before getting back in, keeping at least one of his legs out so he wouldn’t overheat again.

He took a glance at his clock and read the time. 12:33 AM.

He shut his eyes from the glowing red numbers, willing himself to go back to sleep.

** _‘Um… Alex?’_ **

He groaned and released a deep breath of annoyance, not even bothering to open his eyes. _ ‘What Al?’ _

** _‘Do you, uh… did you have a nice dream?’_ **

Alex frowned, already feeling the irritation settling in. _ ‘I don’t know, Al. And if I did, I don’t remember it’ _

There was a brief pause before Al continued, a bit cautiously. ** _‘… Really?’_ **

_ ‘Yes! Now would you please let me sleep!’ _

** _‘Ok! Ok! Sorry, I asked!’_ **

_ ‘Thank you’ _ Alex breathed out a sigh of relief and turned over onto his back, finally getting the rest he deserves before his grand day tomorrow.

His eyes shot open and he groaned, bringing both hands to his face in utter exhaustion. _ ‘Freaking… crab baskets’ _

** _‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine! You’ll have me to guide you every step of the way!’_ **

Alex groaned once more.

* * *

The sound of his alarm clock beeping startled him awake, and he let out a tiny sigh before aimlessly reaching out towards his clock and hitting the snooze button. He groaned and sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to wake himself up fully, and grabbed his head as a sudden pain hit him. _ ‘Ugh… my body is already rejecting this day’ _

He yawned and got out of bed, working out the kinks in his muscles and cracking as many bones as possible without hurting himself. He managed a hand through his hair and headed for his bathroom, pulling out the knots and naps along the way. He opened the door and went to the sink, grabbed his toothbrush from its holder, some toothpaste, and squeezed a generous amount onto the bristles before sticking it in his mouth.

** _‘Holy hell you look terrible’_ **

_ ‘Huh?’ _ He glanced up towards his mirror and took a good look at himself, and cringed a bit at what he saw. His hair was it’s usual mess of matted curls and stray strands sticking up here and there, nothing but a little water and oil wouldn’t fix. He had dried drool on the corner of his mouth and on his cheek and grimaced when he tried to scrub it away but to no avail. His eyes were crusty from sleep and he could see the tiny white eye gunk in the corners, along with some deep eyebags underneath.

As Alastar said, he looked terrible.

_ ‘Jesus, I look like something the cat dragged in’ _ He continued to brush his teeth for a couple more minutes before he spits out the foamed concoction and rinsed out his mouth. He grabbed the mouthwash and poured a small amount in the cap and brought it to his lips, filling his mouth with the burning taste of cool mint. He swished it around and gargled for a few seconds before the stinging liquid got to be too much for his mouth and he spat it out in the sink.

** _‘Not only that, they swallowed you whole, chewed you up, spat you out, and then dragged you in to go show their owner their prize’_ **

He rolled his eyes and grabbed his washcloth and turned on both the ‘Hot’ and ‘Cold’ dials of his sink to get a mixture of the two. Once the rag was dripping wet he rung it out until it was only damp and he wiped his face, scrubbing extra hard on his mouth and cheek to get rid of the dried drool.

He pulled it away from his face to look at himself in the mirror. _ ‘Ok. Now I look a little bit decent’ _

** _‘That’s great and all, but you should really handle that birds’ nest you call hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if an actual bird flew out of it right now’_ **

_ ‘I was getting to that’ _ He turned on the dial for hot water on his sink and stuck his head underneath the spray, massaging his fingers into it to untangle any knots and naps that accumulated while he was asleep. Once done, he grabbed a nearby towel hanging on the rack and started drying his hair and made his way out of the bathroom.

As he towel-dried his hair he walked towards his closet and pulled the door open. He pulls out a pair of clothes neatly hanging on one of the hangers and lays them gently upon his bed, depositing his now damp towel further away from the clothes.

** _‘Alright, so what’s the plan?’_ **

Alex frowned and headed towards his dresser and grabbed a spray bottle half-full of oil. He unscrewed the top off and tipped it over, pouring the contents into his palm and rubbed his hands together. When thoroughly mixed he began massaging his hands in his hair, making sure to go from the roots to the end. _ ‘Plan? What plan?’ _

** _‘You know! The plan! The plan on how you’re gonna handle another year at this school! C’mon, how could you forget?’_ **

Alex grimaced, now wiping his hands on his towel and walking towards his closet to hang it on the rod.

It was something that he had done once he grasped the concepts of ethnicity and racial terms, and realized that he was a product of two of the most controversial races in the world. Growing up was difficult when everyone you’ve met hated you for the color of your skin, and while he tried his best to deal with it, it doesn’t always work out well.

He was a shy and quiet person at heart, so the thought of using violence and aggression against his assailants was definitely out of the question (he’d lose anyway, and that would just be embarrassing). Plus, he had to be the bigger person. He didn’t want to stoop down to their level and be just as belligerent as they were. They could insult him and push him around all they wanted, but he’ll just get back up, dust himself off and walk away as if it never happened.

After all, his Mother raised him better than that.

Without a doubt, she knew the hazards and perils of his daily life the moment he stepped foot outside of the house, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be done about the situation. Adults didn’t care for or about him, and would only step in when the abuse had gone too far and would leave more than just the average scar.

And the authority figures were of no help, so he couldn’t rely on them either.

Which is why whenever he had the misfortune of going outside (which was very rarely), his Mother would always tell him to be careful.

Fortunately, he always had a plan.

_ ‘I didn’t forget…’ _ He walked back towards his bed and picked up the clothes lying there; a white dress shirt with a tiny pocket depicting the schools’ initials in navy-blue cursive letters and a pair of casual black pants and got dressed quickly, making sure to stuff the tail-end of his shirt in his pants and tightening his belt. _ ‘I was just, uh… thinking, is all’ _

** _‘Dude, I literally live inside your head. You’re gonna have to come up with a better excuse than that’_ **

Alex sighed and made his way towards his nightstand, picking up a black, lightweight leather case that held his most valued treasure.

** _‘Wouldn’t really call that a ‘treasure’, but sure, whatever floats your boat’_ **

_ ‘Ok, alright, you know wha-’ _ Suddenly there was a knock on his door and his head snapped towards it, feeling a strange sense of dread despite knowing who was behind the door. He cleared his throat and said, “Yes?”

The muffled voice of his Mother sounded from the other side. “Alex, are you dressed and ready?”

He blinked owlishly and looked down towards his feet, still bare and unclothed. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute”

He heard a muffled ‘Ok’ and then the sound of retreating footsteps.

He quickly went to his dresser and pulled it open, taking out a pair of plain black socks and slipped them on, before reaching down and grabbing a pair of low-top Converse and slid those on as well. He made his way towards his door and grabbed his backpack lying nearby and pulled it open. _ ‘We’ll talk later, okay?’ _

** _‘Oh, believe me, this is definitely not over’_ **

Alex just shook his head in mild affection and left his room.

He smelled something heavenly coming from downstairs and it was enough to make his mouth water with the expectation of a delicious home-cooked breakfast.

He sniffed again and got a whiff of bacon and toast. His two favorite foods.

Once he reached the bottom step, he headed for the kitchen to see his Mother piling a plate with strips of bacon, some scrambled eggs, and a few pieces of golden-brown toast.

He smiled slightly and made his way over to the stove. “_Matin_, Mom”

She jumped and quickly whirled around, a hand placed delicately on her chest while the other tried to regain its’ balance of the plate of food. “Alex! _Tu m'as fait peur_!”

His Mother, no matter what people have said about her, was (and still is) a truly beautiful person.

She didn’t have any hair to comb or brush (in fact, she had a shaved head, with some fuzz), but that just seems to make her more stunning, and with her smooth, milk chocolate skin and big doe brown eyes with a little mole underneath her left one, she was the absolute picture of every woman's envy and every man’s dream (according to him, at least).

She wore what most consider ‘house clothes’; a plain black t-shirt and a pair of colorful pajama pants with some black flip-flops, but even in an ordinary, everyday outfit, she still looked beautiful.

He smiled sheepishly and mumbled a quiet “_Désolée_”

She released a small sigh and brought her hand down to gently massage his head, messing up his curls even more and giving him a small smile. “It's alright, Alex. No harm done”

Alex couldn’t help himself, he sighed in absolute bliss and leaned into her touch. It was nice and comforting, and it took his mind off of what could possibly happen today, albeit momentarily.

She moved her hand down to his face, cupping his cheeks and giving them a quick squeeze to make him appear like a pufferfish. “Come now _ amour_, breakfast is ready”

He nodded and grabbed a small stack of paper plates and a bottle of maple syrup from the top of the refrigerator. He followed his Mother into the dining room and sat down in one of the chairs placed around the table, putting the plates and syrup in the center for easy access. His Mother followed suit, sitting in a chair right next to him.

With nothing more to be done, Alex and his Mother each took a plate from the pile, decorating their individual meals into the same structure; bacon, egg, and syrup sandwich.

A collective ‘Mmmhhh’ was heard from both as they took the first few bites of their food.

“So Alex, are you ready for your first day back to school?” His Mother asked.

He frowned and took another bite out of his sandwich, chewed slowly and swallowed before he answered. “Honestly… no, no I’m not” Then he smiled suddenly, a small and minuscule one but still a smile nonetheless. “Who knows… maybe things will be different now that I’m a Senior”

His Mother made an incomprehensible noise and took another bite of her food, her eyes unfocused on a random spot on the table.

Eventually, she replied. “Well… maybe you’ll be able to make some friends. Even one is better than nothing”

Alex just shrugged his shoulders as he took the last bite of his sandwich, his mind full of nothing but doubts and uncertainties. “Maybe”

Once their meal was finished they grabbed a few napkins from the table to wipe away the crumbs from their mouth and hands, Alex making sure that none of them landed on his uniform. “Thanks for the breakfast, Mom”

She smiled and ruffled his hair again. “You’re welcome_ amour_” She stood up from the table and grabbed both their empty plates and the serving dish. “Now c’mon. It’s time to leave”

His shoulders slumped slightly at hearing that, hoping that time would have moved just a little bit slower so he would stay home longer. But, he knew that eventually, he would have to suck it up and deal with it.

He stood up from his seat and pushed his chair under the table just as his Mother walked back in the room with her car keys in hand. She noticed his dejected demeanor and gently grabbed his cheeks with both hands and gave them a little tug upwards. “Now now, don’t make that face. Turn that frown upside down. C’mon, give me a smile…” His Mother encouraged, still pulling his cheeks to draw a smile on his face.

Alex just couldn’t resist, especially with his Mother tugging on his face like she is now, something she had done ever since his childhood days.

It brought back memories, both the good and the bad.

Though it was a little shaky and a bit hesitant, he smiled, wide enough that it made his eyes nearly shut close.

His Mother grinned and gave his cheeks a little pinch before releasing them. “Now if we don’t want to be late, we have to leave now”

His Mother headed towards the front door and he sighed, now having to face the reality that is, unfortunately, his life.

_ “Maybe you’ll be able to make some friends. Even one is better than nothing” _

He scoffed quietly and headed for the door.

_ ‘Yeah right’ _

* * *

A dark blue Dodge Charger pulled into a parking lot nearly filled to the brim with cars and trucks of all types and colors. Some adults just exiting their cars with their child or children in tow, while others were making their way towards the entrance of the building. The car parked next to a white Chevrolet Tahoe before the driver’s door opened, revealing a brown-skinned woman in her early-to-mid thirties with a buzz-cut for hair and very… ‘eccentric’ clothing, while the passenger door opened to show a mixed-skinned young boy with unruly curly hair, dressed in a sharp outfit with a bag over his shoulder.

The day was dark and gloomy, giving off an unsettling mood for most of the children who would be attending the school for the very first time, while some others only thought of being anywhere else but here.

Like how young Alexander was feeling.

With each step of his shoes, he would hope and plead for the ground to open up and swallow him whole, or that, by some stroke of luck, school would be canceled due to an unsuspecting hurricane heading straight for the area.

Oh, if only he could imagine the possibilities becoming real.

His hands began to shake as they neared the entrance and he clenched them into fists in order for them to remain still, but the strain caused his arms to shake as well.

He wasn’t going to panic.

Panicking got him nowhere.

“Alex, are you alright?” The voice of his Mother managed to calm him down, if only slightly, but enough to not bring forth any more unwanted attention.

He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head. The careless whispers that he could hear from their attempts of trying to be subtle, or maybe they didn’t care whether or not they were being heard.

He looked at her worried face and let loose a small grin, hoping to put her fears to rest, at least for a little while. “Yeah, I’m fine”

She looked unconvinced, and for good reason since his arms were still shaking from his attempts to calm himself. With no warning, she grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly, lacing her fingers through his as if to make him more comfortable.

He sighed deeply and squeezed his Mother’s hand in reassurance. She squeezed back in return.

They reached the side-entrance and pulled open the door, setting foot inside a very spacious office, with walls an intense white color that hurt his eyes just by looking at them and he turned his gaze towards the blue, carpeted floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the rest of the office; decorative furniture and pictures of past graduates, major events, and news clippings adorning the walls, along with a very large trophy case (filled with various awards and medals) nestled against a wall, two large lamps settled on either side, illuminating its apparent prominence. On each wall were a large set of glass double-doors, the left leading out into a hallway and the right showcasing another substantial office, most likely the main office. In the upper right-hand corner of the room sat a small, flat-screen TV with its channel tuned to the current time and date in bold, white numbers floating on a black screen. _ 07:14:43 AM, 08/17/15 _

A large, wooden oak desk forming a curved shape sat near a back wall in the center of the room, with a Caucasian woman in her mid-thirties residing in a large, black leather rolling chair, dressed in an outfit better fit for lawyers. Her attention was focused on some folders neatly organized inside a small filing cabinet, her fingers sifting through each one meticulously.

She turned towards the group of people spilled inside the office and offered them all a sincere smile. “Hello, and welcome to Morrison Academy. My name is Vivian Allen, and I am the Head Secretary. If you are returning students, would you please come forward to receive your schedule, locker number and combination, and I.D? If you are new students, would you please go through this door to your right? My assistant will help you settle in”

Students and parents quickly went to their designated area, with the majority forming a line leading towards the desk to obtain their school information in a pale-brown folder.

Time passed gradually as, one-by-one, students were handed their folders and headed towards the door to the left, some hugging their parents in farewell and others exchanging a few words before going their separate ways.

Once Alex and his Mother reached the desk, the Secretary smiled warmly at his Mother, but when her eyes fell onto him, they immediately turned cold. He shuddered slightly from the intensity of her glare.

His Mother squeezed his hand in reassurance and, hesitantly, he squeezed back.

The Secretary just scoffed quietly and asked for his general information, despite the short and simple inquiries she remained professional throughout the ordeal.

Once the brown folder was in his hands, Alex made a hasty exit towards the door leading to the hallway, pulling his Mother along with him. He threw open the doors and picked a random spot on the wall to lean against, safely away from prying eyes. He pulled out the aforementioned items, clipping his I.D onto his shirt pocket and taking note of his locker number and combination, making a quick note that it was located on the second floor near the back of the school, and finally, reviewing his schedule.

**Homeroom**  
**Subject**: N/A  
**Day**: A/B  
**Teacher**: Edward Hernandez  
**Classroom**: D-236  
**Hours**: 8:00AM - 8:30AM****

**First Period**  
**Subject**: AP Literature  
**Day**: A  
**Teacher**: Nancy Davidson  
**Classroom**: B-112  
**Hours**: 8:40AM - 10:00AM

**Second Period**  
**Subject**: World History H.  
**Day**: A  
**Teacher**: Joseph Rhodes  
**Classroom**: C-319  
**Hours**: 10:10AM - 11:30AM

**Lunch**  
**Hours**: 11:30AM - 12:30PM

**Third Period**  
**Subject**: Algebra II H.  
**Day**: A  
**Teacher**: Evelynn Phillips  
**Classroom**: D-312  
**Hours**: 12:40PM - 2:00PM

**Fourth Period**  
**Subject**: Earth Science H.  
**Day**: A  
**Teacher**: Abdul Wulandari  
**Classroom**: D-336  
**Hours**: 2:10PM - 3:30PM

**First Period**  
**Subject**: Illustration & Design  
**Day**: B  
**Teacher**: Michael Lee  
**Classroom**: A-110  
**Hours**: 8:40AM - 10:00AM

**Second Period**  
**Subject**: Journalism  
**Day**: B  
**Teacher**: Gabrielle Jones  
**Classroom**: A-234  
**Hours**: 10:10AM - 11:30AM

**Lunch**  
**Hours**: 11:30AM - 12:30PM

**Third Period**  
**Subject**: Gym/Physical Education  
**Day**: B  
**Teacher**: Nathaniel Davis  
**Classroom**: A-202  
**Hours**: 12:40PM - 2:00PM

**Fourth Period**  
**Subject**: Free Period  
**Day**: B  
**Teacher**: N/A  
**Classroom**: N/A  
**Hours**: 2:10PM - 3:30PM

He spent a few minutes looking over his schedule, making sure that he could remember the locations of his classes and which routes were the fastest to get there on time.

“Do you know where all of your classes are?” His Mother asked, curiously.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think they would separate my extracurricular classes from my regular ones. It beats walking up and down the stairs all day, though.” He replied, before placing his schedule back into the folder and putting it in his backpack.

“Alex…” His Mother whispered sadly, and he turned towards her to see her melancholy state, her hand reaching for his to be held again. Alex accepted and without warning, she pulled him into a tight hug, one of her hands massaging his messy curls and the other rubbing his back in gentle, small circles.

Alex grunted from the force but managed to pull his arms free and encircle them around his Mother.

It was time. The time he knew that would come sooner or later but dreaded with every fiber of his being, and the moment he let go of his Mother, everything would be over.

Maybe that’s why she wanted to hold him, probably to delay the moment when it was time to say goodbye.

“Alex?” His Mother asked quietly.

“Yes?”

“_Sois prudent, d'accord?_”

Alex nodded with a quiet ‘Yes, ma’am’ that was mostly muffled by her shirt. She pulled back a bit and laid a tender kiss upon his forehead before she let go of him partially. “_Au revoir, mon amour_” His Mother whispered, her fingers still playing with his hair.

“_Au revoir, maman_” Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other, his Mother stepping back one foot at a time, not wanting to break eye contact with him just yet.

A grin broke out over his face suddenly and he lifted his hand to give his Mother a small wave in farewell.

She smiled in return and lifted her hand to copy his motions before she, rather reluctantly, turned away from him and headed for the exit.

The smile slowly slipped off his face and he casually returned his hand to its resting position, keeping an eye on his Mother’s retreating back until she disappeared from his view.

He was alone now.

Alone in this sea of vicious predators who showed no mercy.

He sighed, turned around and walked down the hall, not wanting to be late for Homeroom.

* * *

The halls were dressed in nothing but white. The floors, the walls, the ceiling just a sea of the blinding color. The only colors to contrast were the lockers with their navy-blue pigment and classroom doors made of a glossy, golden brown. Even the water fountains had a splash of color on them, despite being covered in a lackluster gray. Among the walls were pictures of past-graduates and posters hung by teachers, some about learning and respecting others and the rest depicting school and classroom rules.

Laughter sounded along the halls, joined with excited conversations and shouts of exclamations. Alex looked up to see a variety of students mingling about, hanging out beside the lockers and water fountains to catch up with friends or try and make new ones. He saw a few of the administrators patrolling the area as well, helping students locate their classes and making sure to keep everyone in order.

He stuck close to the walls, trying his best to avoid all the people and commotions so he could get to class on time.

** _‘Hey! Remember that little conversation we had earlier? ‘Cause I sure do!’_ **

Alex just sighed, feeling a headache coming on already. _ ‘I didn’t forget, Al. As you could see I was busy’ _

** _‘Yeah, yeah, yeah! I get that, but… y’know, your Mom was right about that other thing’_ **

_ ‘What? About having friends?’ _ Alex scoffed quietly. _ ‘C’mon, be realistic. Who in their right mind would want to be friends with me?’ _

** _‘Well, you never know until you try, right?’_ **

Alex lightly shrugged his shoulders, now approaching the intersection of the hallway. _ ‘I don’t know. I gue-’ _

** _‘Great! So, to start off, uh… how about that girl over there in the intersection? It looks like she needs help’_ **

Alex looked over and, sure enough, there was a girl in the epicenter of the junction, going back and forth between looking at her schedule and the hallways around her. Alex could only see her from behind, but he could tell from her frantic searches and quivering form that she definitely needed help.

Alex scoffed quietly. _ ‘Why should I help her? What do you think the Administrators are for?’’ _

** _‘Now, now don’t be like that. ‘Sides, you had no one helping you when you first started here. Think about that for a little bit’_ **

_ ‘Well my situation is different’ _

** _‘And that doesn’t mean you’re gonna object to it. Plus, you’re not gonna leave a damsel in distress, are you?’_ **

Alex looked at the girl and noticed how visibly red her face was getting and how frantic her actions were becoming. He could already sense the apprehensiveness growing bigger and bigger the more time went on.

He sighed and decided to make his way over. _ ‘If this doesn’t work out, I’m not listening to any more of your ideas’ _

** _‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine! Besides, you’re gonna be her knight in shining armor, and save her from the most treacherous of beast: embarrassment!’_ **

Alex let loose a quiet chuckle, before washing the grin off his face. It’ll be a little weird if he were just smiling out of nowhere. “Um, excuse me?”

The girl jumped and turned towards him, holding her schedule closer to her as if it’ll give her comfort.

The girl (even he had to admit), was very pretty. She was of Caucasian descent with short, ebony hair styled into a bob and a pair of red-rimmed glasses framing her baby-blue eyes and chubby face. She was dressed in the school's uniform for the girls; a white, short-sleeved dress shirt and a black, high-waisted skater skirt with a pair of dress shoes and long, black stockings, which he didn’t think was included in the uniform.

Oh well, to each their own. “Do you need any help?”

The girl didn’t answer right away, just nervously gripped the bottom-hem of her skirt and looked down towards the floor, her face a bright, cherry red.

Alex didn’t know how to proceed from there. He just stood there with a concerned look on his face, feeling very confused. _ ‘Um, what just happened?’ _

** _‘Honestly, I don’t know’_ **

So he decided to try again. “Uh, do you need any help?”

The girl quickly looked up and stammered out a reply. “O-Oh, um… t-thank you, very m-much. Y-yes, I’m t-trying to find m-my… Homeroom class”

Alex just grinned, quickly hiding his growing concern on whether or not this was all worth it. “No problem, I can help you out. Can I see your schedule?”

“Oh! Uh, o-of course!” She pushed the paper into his face so fast he had to take a step back to avoid being hit. “S-Sorry!”

He brought his hands up in an effort to try and calm her down. “It’s okay! It’s fine! Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen” _ Like what I’m doing right now. _ He took the paper from her hands and looked it over, finding her Homeroom to be right upstairs and also doing himself a small favor to see if he had any classes with this girl… which, unfortunately, he did.

** _‘It’s just one class! It’s not the end of the world!’_ **

_ ‘Shut up, you don’t know that!’ _

“Okay, your Homeroom is right upstairs. Just follow me, alright?”

She nodded and he gave her schedule back to her and headed for the stairs, having to push through the growing crowd of students as the time for Homeroom was fast approaching.

They walked up a flight of stairs, passing other students along the way who looked and stared at them as they walked by and entered another equally long, spacious hallway with a few of the students mingling about. On one side of the hallway were rows of lockers colored in a navy-blue, and on the other side were classroom doors left wide open, with an invitation to let yourself in.

As they walked by, the students lingering about turned towards them, some of them staring as they continued their trek, and others pointing and whispering to their classmates.

And Alex was unfortunate enough to have caught some of their conversations.

“Look! It’s that kid again! I thought he got expelled…”

“… the hell is he doing here? No, seriously why…”

“… Ewww! I hope I don’t have any classes with him…”

“… must be desperate for students. But to let **that** in again…”

** _‘Just tune them out, Alex. They’re not important’_ **

_ ‘I know’ _ He took a deep breath and headed for the classroom near the end of the hallway. “Alright, here’s your Homeroom”

She turned to him gave him a small smile. “T-Thank you, again, f-for your help, uh… um…” Her face took on another shade of red and she looked down towards the floor, twisting her hands in her skirt.

Alex didn’t have time for this, he was going to be late for Homeroom. “It’s Alexander, but you can call me Alex for short”

She lifted her head and smiled again, though it was more bashful due to her reddened face. “Oh! Well, t-thank you v-very much, Alex. M-My name is… M-Melinda”

He smiled sharply, mentally counting the clock ticking down on how much time he has already wasted. “It’s nice to meet you, Melinda. I’ll see you after class, okay?”

Her smile widens and she nodded, which gave him the go-to to hurry along to his class before the bell rings…

… while mentally punching himself in the face. _ ‘Why did I say that?! I didn’t even mean to, it just slipped out! I don’t even know her for goodness sakes!’ _

** _‘Well, Alex… you see, that’s a little thing people call ‘making friends’’_ **

_ ‘Oh God, why is this happening to me?!’ _

** _‘I think you’re being a bit overdramatic on this’_ **

He walked up two flights of stairs to get to the top floor, bypassing other students who whispered as he walked by and made his way for Homeroom, quietly hoping the bell doesn’t ring just yet.

He trekked through the hallways as the sound of the warning bell sounded through the intercom, making some lingering students scurry along to their appropriate classes. He rounded a corner, not in much of a hurry anymore as his Homeroom was just near the end of the hallway.

** _BAM!_ **

Not expecting the unfortunate impact, Alex fell, landing harshly on his backpack while the other individual dropped just as hard.

Alex sat up and rubbed his back, feeling a slight sting starting to throb painfully, making him hiss while he adjusted his glasses from their skewed position. At least his bag suffered most of the fall.

“Ugh, watch where you're going, fuckin' clutz!”

Alex, about halfway off the floor and now on his knees, froze. His entire body immobile and eyes widen with a sense of cautionary fear, the urge to fight or flight hitting him harder than his pounding heartbeat. His breath was stuttering in and out as if he had just finished running a marathon with sweat starting to form on his forehead--and honestly, he’d rather had done that than be here at the moment.

_ ‘It’s not possible… there’s no way that…’ _

He looked towards the person getting up from the ground while rubbing the back of their head, face contorted in apparent anger.

It was a dark-skinned boy somewhere around his age, wearing the school uniform with two of the top buttons undone on the shirt, showing off his collarbone. He had a deep scowl upon his face, with his lip curled up slightly and both eyes narrowed, making a thin scar on his cheek contract a bit.

Alex’s breath hitched in fear, now absolutely certain on who this person was.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little_ bitch_-boy. Bet you never thought you’d see me again, huh?” The boy now had a sneer on his face as he slowly got up from the floor, walking over to him in slow, prideful strides.

The boy stood before him and peered down from the bridge of his nose, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Well, are you gonna keep starin’ at me like a fuckin’ creep, or are you gonna apologize?”

Alex blinked and swallowed down a mouthful of saliva in order to speak clearly and keep his breakfast down. “I-I-I’m… s-sorry…”

The boy didn’t move or utter a word for a moment, just staring down at Alex with a contemptuous look on his face.

He leaned down suddenly with enough swiftness that it knocked Alex off his knees and onto his backside, only being held up by his hands. “You really expect me to accept an apology like that? C’mon now, you and I _ both_ know you can do better than that” He said in a menacing whisper.

Alex couldn’t manage to say anything. His heart was beating too quickly and his lungs felt as if they couldn’t get enough oxygen into them.

He was absolutely terrified.

Suddenly the bell sounded, signaling the start of Homeroom.

The boy grunted irritably and gave Alex a glowering look. “Now look what you fuckin’ did. You made me late for Homeroom, and on the first day, too. You’re gonna pay for that, I’ll make sure of it,_ bitch_-boy” He stood up straight and shot him another glare before walking away down the hall.

Alex waited on the floor of the hallway until the gradually fading sound of shoes tapping against the floor was no longer heard. He finally got up from the ground and brushed away imaginary dust on his clothes, before making a brisk walk to his Homeroom.

** _‘Alex-’_ **

_‘Al, please, not right now’_

_ **‘I know, but-’** _

_‘I said not now! Now leave me alone!’_

He didn’t get a reply, but right now, Alex didn’t care. He just didn’t.

As if surviving his final year in high school wasn’t already difficult enough, now he has to deal with his chief tormentor since his Freshmen days.

Xavier Williams.

Handsome. Athletic. Intelligent. A real superstar that everyone loved and adored the moment he walked through the door.

But so blinded by his popularity, they failed to see how utterly disgusting he truly was.

Or, maybe because it was him that he was harassing meant absolutely nothing to them.

He, meant nothing to them.

Alex just shook his head. Those thoughts were unnecessary. All he had to do was make it through this final year and he could say ‘Good riddance’ to this place.

And this time, for good.

_ ~End of Chapter~ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Okay to start off, I originally posted this like waaaaay back in late 2017. But after reviewing it and going over the plot multiple times, I realized that it didn’t really make any sense. Nothing flowed the way I thought it would have and I really pushed some things a bit too heavily in my opinion. So, after some consideration, I decided to take it down and start over from scratch (because EVERYTHING needed to be rewritten).
> 
> But if you’re new, then ignore my little rant up top and continue on down below!
> 
> So I got the idea for this story when I was cruising through the internet one grand day and came across a news article about how there was another slaying of an African American man by the police, and that people were upset about the thoughts of gay marriage, or same-sex parents. I usually don’t put much thought into these because I know what it’ll cause. A bunch of senseless violence and pointed fingers at who's to blame.
> 
> But somehow, someway… an idea formed on what my eyes had laid upon and twisted it into my own lovely creation. And thus, this story was born!
> 
> Now, don’t expect much from me. Unfortunately, I’m an adult and I have to work so I can make money in order to live in this world, so I can’t spend every waking day working on this story, but you bet your marshmallows that I’m gonna try!
> 
> Anyway, see ya soon!
> 
> -AJ
> 
> Word Count: ~10,500  
Uploaded: Dec. 09, 2019


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Language

Thankfully the door was still open, and Alex made his way inside, getting looks from some of the students already seated and a glance from the teacher sitting at his desk.

He could hear the whispers as he passed by the rows of desk chairs, could feel the multitude of eyes staring him down that it made him itch in uneasiness, and it took quite a bit of effort to suppress his urge to alleviate it.

Which is one of the (many) reasons why he never sits in front of the class.

He took a seat in the very last row of desk, located in the back where an old wooden bookshelf stood. He placed his backpack on the floor, though it was more of a flop than a gentle drop considering that he was short-winded and a bit clammy as if he had just finished running a marathon.

A few more students hurriedly walked through the door and took their chosen seats, while the Homeroom teacher got up from his desk and made his way to the front of the class, holding a pen and a small stack of paper separated by colorful tabs.

He smiled brightly at the students. “Good morning, everyone! My name is Edward Hernandez, and I will be your Homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. Now, I will begin roll call, so when I call out your name, please respond. Samantha Adams…”

“Here”

“Alexis Agerton…”

“Present”

“Cedrick Ahlenberg…”

“Yo”

“Victoria Aims…”

“Here”

“Christopher Akerson…”

“Sup”

“Alexander Anderson…”

“… Here”

Alex zoned out the rest of the names, far too anxious to even pay attention to his classmates as he tried to subdue his racing heart. _‘I need to calm down… I need to relax, or everyone will notice’_

**_ ‘Do you… do you need any help?’_ **

Alex nearly flinched from the unexpected response, his mind in absolute shambles from everything that has happened so far that he practically ignored Alastar. 

He didn’t mean to do it, giving his best friend the cold-shoulder when they were just trying to help, but he couldn’t help it.

He hadn’t expected Xavier to return. He hadn’t expected him to ever come back, especially for his final year no less.

Not much time had passed when Xavier had left; only a year at the most, and it seems that that was all it took for Alex to forget him.

A whole year of dealing with your average-sized bully was a blessing, as well as a curse all in one.

Because now it gave them even more of a reason to torment him.

Granted, his life wasn’t any better before he met Xavier. He still had his fair share of problems getting in the way of everything, sometimes escalating into more, but unfortunately, that was his life, no matter how messed up it was.

But seeing Xavier again brought back too many memories.

And not a single one of them was pleasant.

On the very first day of Freshmen year, it felt as if his life had drastically gone from bad to worse.

Honestly, he had expected it. Sure, junior high and even elementary school wasn’t as grand of an experience, but it had never evolved into anything serious.

Growing up, he went through a myriad of people that were just itching to make his life a living nightmare. It was like going through lottery tickets; The expectations vastly outweigh the consequences when you realize that you could hit it big if you keep playing long enough, and, unfortunately for him, making him suffer was considered the grand prize.

But he took that torment in stride because he knew that the moment he decided to show that he had something of a backbone to them, that it would just make the situation worse for himself.

No one was going to protect him, least of all himself, so he decided to stick with the safest route possible.

And besides, after months of the same losses with no chance of winning the jackpot, people eventually move on to something else.

But not Xavier, though. He kept coming back for more.

Perhaps the thought of the rewards was just too much to pass up, so he became his permanent fix.

As time went on, he would purposely seek him out for his daily rush of stress relief and adrenaline every once in a while. There was never a set schedule for when it transpired; sometimes, they would just happen to cross each other in the halls, and from that point on, as they say, the rest was history.

But it didn’t start that way. At first, there were little taunts and insults thrown his way, and since they were such a common occurrence (and also repeated), he ignored them with practiced grace.

To be honest, he didn’t understand the point of the insults. There were only so many things he could be called before even he grew tired of hearing the same things over and over again.

And apparently, so did Xavier.

The shift was nearly instantaneous. One minute he was just going to class, minding his own business, and the next, he’s being shoved into lockers, and he knew from the force of it that it was no accident.

_“Watch where you’re goin’, bitch-boy.”_ And Xavier thought it was funny enough to be considered the joke of the year.

And the moment he was out of sight, all he could do was roll his eyes in annoyance. His shoulder was throbbing in pain, but it was nothing compared to what he has suffered before.

So, in short, nothing he couldn’t handle on his own.

Or at least, that’s what he had thought.

Because about halfway through Freshman year, something… changed.

He didn’t know what caused it or why, but he knew the moment he stepped foot inside the school, something wasn’t right.

The atmosphere was different, more extensive than usual, to the point that it made his skin crawl with apprehension like something was going to jump out and attack him at any given moment.

Of course, he ignored it. It was ridiculous to have those kinds of thoughts where everything was literally out to get you, and a school of all else was like a cesspool for disaster to happen, whether it was private or not.

He watched enough anime to know at this point.

But Alastar told him he was just overthinking it, that nothing too drastic was going to happen that day, that he was going to give himself a headache for worrying too much.

If he had known of the consequences that soon followed after, he would have _never_ listened to them.

And he made himself such an easy target, too.

So easy… couldn’t even fight back…

**_ ‘Alex! Stop it’_ **

He gasped, not loudly, thank God, but enough to startle himself out of his trance and focus on the polish of his wooden desk. His heart was pounding unbearably fast, so fast that that was all he could hear, and he prayed to whatever God that was out there that no else could hear it either.

But what was the point, honestly? Not like they’d check to see if he was alright anyway.

He released the air slowly through his nose to hopefully calm his heart, curling his hands into fists to try and stop the tremors invading his body. He was sweating, too, could feel it slither down underneath his shirt like a mob of creepy crawlers. His shirt was starting to stick to him. It was uncomfortable.

He took another round of deep breaths before he felt his heart start to settle, and he could hear again; the loud and obnoxious laughter, the never-ending gossip of ‘who did what’ and whatever else he wished he hadn’t heard. If anything, it was just background noise to him; Not important.

He unfurled his fist and sat up, taking a glance out of his peripheral to look at the clock-TV in the upper corner of the room. _8:25:46 AM._

He breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his slouch, using the remaining time to keep himself occupied, like a conversation or something of the sort.

_‘… Hey, Al…’_

The reply was immediate. **_‘__**Ye**ah?’_**

He slumped down even further in his seat, lowering his head to rest upon his now crossed arms. _‘About earlier… I… I’m sorry. It’s just… I…’_ He didn’t know how to respond; his brain was just a chaotic mess right now he couldn’t even think straight.

But Alastar saved him the trouble of trying any further. _**‘_I k_now, I know, don’t worry about it. It’s okay’**_

He released a small breath and closed his eyes, a sense of tranquility surrounding him, somehow managing to reassure him that, even in the moment of turmoil, and when everything was against him, he still has his friend by his side.

He smiled slightly, content with himself for the moment. _‘… Thanks’_

**_ ‘No problem’_ **

“Alright, class,” Mr. Hernandez exclaimed from his desk, which drew the attention of the students as he stood up and made his way to the front of the classroom. Alex opened his eyes just as he made it to the center. “Since our time is almost up, I would like to share with you what we will be doing for the remainder of the year. For any new students, this will be very important to you, so please pay attention. As some of you may know, we will be conducting our DEAR program, which stands for ‘Drop Everything And Read,’ so every day when you come to my class, you will be required to read any book of your choice for the entirety of Homeroom. There are no tests or quizzes that are expected to be taken after, so please, read as you see fit” He concluded with a smile and went to sit back down at his desk, occasionally drinking from a coffee mug.

The class quickly went back to their conversations, not at all retaining any of the information that Mr. Hernandez just informed them of, which wasn’t much of a surprise, honestly.

The moment the discussion was over, Alex closed his eyes again, deep in thought. _‘Huh. Wonder what book I’m gonna read this year’_

**_ ‘Well… nothing from the Twilight series I hope’_ **

_‘Oh, trust me, I’m not into the supernatural genre. Also, not a fan of vampires and werewolves. Also, also, not a romantic female’_

**_ ‘Then what are you gonna read?’_ **

Alex sighed, his head sinking even lower into his arms. _‘I don’t know. Whatever catches my eye, really’_

The bell sounded, marking it the end of Homeroom, and the students quickly slipped out of the classroom and into the hallway, talking amongst themselves. Alex was the last to leave, leaving the room with his spirits raised just a bit.

He made his way to his desired floor and walked towards the classroom he had shown Melinda earlier, ignoring the stares and whispers of the students through the crowded hallway until he came to a stop in front of a familiar door, and the person standing next to it. “Hey. I uh, hope you weren’t waiting too long for me.” He said with a slight smile, as both teens made their way through the crowd. “So, how was Homeroom?”

Melinda twiddled with her fingers and looked down, her face twisted in contemplation. “I-It was okay… The teacher w-was really nice, and most of the c-class was a little loud but otherwise alright”

Alex hummed in reply, more focused on maneuvering through the crowd than trying to keep the conversation going. He was already late for Homeroom today, and he didn’t want to continue making that a habit. After all, he didn’t want to worsen his already-damaged reputation. “Uh-huh, that’s great”

There was a heavy silence between the two, with the constant chatter of the students going to-and-fro now more pronounced and boisterous.

**_ ‘Whoo boy… well, this is awkward’_ **

Alex would have rolled his eyes if there weren’t so many people around, so instead, he settled for a small huff of air through his nose. _‘What’s the problem now?’_

**_ ‘This atmosphere is… really, really uncomfortable right now’_ **

_‘Well, what do you want me to do about it?’_ He gently squeezed through a small horde of girls standing around in a circle in the middle of the hallway, mumbling a quiet ‘Excuse me’ as he went by. He turned his head about halfway around to make sure Melinda was still following and managed to make eye-contact with one of the girls.

Her face shriveled up in disgust, and she leaned over to one of the closest girls to whisper in her ear. They snickered and snorted loudly, which caught the attention of the rest of the group.

Alex turned back around after that, the loud sniggering of the girls just more background noise at this point. _‘I repeat, what do you want me to do about it?’_

** _‘Well… you could try to make some conversation with your new friend’_ **

Alex couldn’t even hide his frown if he wanted to. _‘Whatever’_

He could hear the sharp exhale of air being released, followed by a very resigned **_‘__**Al**ex…’_**

Alex knew that tone of voice, full of frustration and anger that had been slowly building up over-time, like when you keep playing the same level over and over again because you keep dying in the same spot.

Yeah, just about that degree of irritation.

Alex knows it all too well.

He sighs deeply, feeling the tension ease out of him somewhat. _‘Al, I’m sorry… There’s just too much on my mind right now. I can’t focus’_

**_‘Yeah, I noticed, which is why I thought talking with Mel would cheer you up a little’_** Here they paused, then said, _**‘O****_r_ at least, distract you for a bit’**_

A small smile just grazes his face, and a soft noise escapes past his lips, almost a mockery of a laugh. _‘Well… it could have’_ Then he frowned, more in thought than confusion. _‘Also, ‘Mel’? We aren’t even sure if this ‘friend’ business is going to last, and you’re already coming up with nicknames?’_

** _‘Well, better start now, right? After all, you never know…’_ **

_ ‘ … I guess’ _

Suddenly the warning bell rang, and any students lingering around the hallway rushed to their classes to get there on time.

Alex’s head jerked up in bewilderment, not thinking that time could go by so quickly when he hadn’t even made it to the halfway point to take Melinda to her class.

He should really keep out of his head for a while.

He _tsked_ his teeth in annoyance and grabbed Melinda’s hand, the two of them making a mad dash towards the stairs, quickly going down and skipping over some steps along the way, trying to avoid colliding with other students. Once they reached the bottom, they sprinted to a classroom near the center of the hallway. “Here’s your class! I’ll see you soon!” Alex yelled as he let go of her hand once they came upon the open classroom door and ran for the stairs.

Alex managed to make it to class with seconds to spare, once again taking a desk in the back in the very last row. As soon as he sat down the bell rang, and First Period began, despite a few students walking in a little bit after.

The teacher stood up from her desk and walked to the front of the class, a broad smile on her face. “Good morning, everyone! My name is Nancy Davidson, and welcome to AP Literature! Now, we will not be doing much, as it is the very first day, but I will hand out a syllabus to show all of you on what we will be doing throughout the year. I would advise that you look over this with your parents or guardians and have them sign the bottom of the very last page and return it to me by Wednesday.” She paused, making sure her words reached all her students. “Now, I will begin roll call, so when I call your name, please answer so I may hand out the syllabus. Amanda Addison…”

“Here”

“Taneka Ambers…”

“Here”

“Alexander Anderson…”

“Here”

After he received his syllabus, Alex ignored the rest of names and began to take the time to read and review what they would be learning for the rest of the year, but after only reading the first section depicting different literature and writing types, he grew bored of it quickly and decided to let his mind wander off onto other matters.

_‘Christ, can this day just hurry up and be over with already?’_

** _‘Hmmm… I have an idea!’_ **

Alex had a feeling deep down inside he was going to regret this, but in the end, what did he possibly have to lose. _‘Alright, shoot’_

He could feel Alastar rubbing their hands together in an almost evil-like manner, like a comic-book supervillain sitting in their big, black leather chair with a cat placed in their lap for whatever reason. He shuddered slightly under the implications.

** _‘Oh yeah… you’re gonna really like this!’_ **

He could only hope that it wouldn’t be the other way around.

* * *

First period came and went, as with it Second period, with students carrying their bags and arms heavy with textbooks and course papers while making their way towards various lockers to put them away for later use. They were chatting amongst each other, happy to get away from the grueling 80 minutes of class to enjoy an hour of partial freedom and conversation.

Also known as lunch.

Alex, with newfound companion Melinda in tow, both made their way downstairs to the first floor towards the Cafeteria, also conversing. However, he was still in a bit of a giggly mess after Alastar’s little stunt to distract him from his lessons. “So, how was Second period?” Alex asked as they squeezed through students lingering in the hallways.

“It w-was alright, although i-it was m-mostly loud, and w-we didn’t r-really l-learn m-much. The t-teacher w-was r-really nice, t-too.”

Alex smiled a little, thankfully, in a better mood than earlier. “That’s cool. My class was okay. The teacher’s a little strict, but I guess he’s, alright, once you get used to him.”

Melinda smiled shyly and continued their conversation as they made their way to the Cafeteria.

As they drew nearer, the harsh mixture of sounds assaulted their ears first, followed by the delicious aroma of well-served, thoroughly cooked food, and if Alex heightened his senses a little more, he could smell his favorite food over the others--spaghetti.

The Cafeteria was an uproar of loud chattering and indistinctive noises, each table a cosseted huddle of the well-known groups around the school.

The Preps, or sometimes called ‘prefects’ sat in their usual area in the middle of the lunchroom. Some people think they chose that spot as a way of being the ‘center of attention’ but who really knows besides the group themselves. They were mostly made up of Seniors, with a sporadic few of lower classmen here and there who managed to snag a spot. They were the ones who uphold the social order of the school, meaning that their word was law.

Alex never had much of a problem with them if he had to be honest. If anything, they mostly kept to themselves and were only involved when anything dealing with the school was being conducted.

So all-in-all, he could say they were alright in his book.

** _‘And now that you’re a Senior, you’re part of the group, too!’_ **

Alex grimaced slightly. _‘Yeah… I’ll pass on that, thanks’_

The Mean Girls sat a little bit away from the Preps, and as the name suggests, is a group made up of fashionably cruel females. Rumors were surrounding the group that some were once part of the Preps before they were ousted for ‘abusing the social order,’ but so far, no one knows if that was true. They are a diverse group of lower and upperclassmen that frequently gossip about others, whether or not they knew them personally, and spread false rumors to ruin people, sometimes just for fun.

Alex heard Al growl loudly in his head, and if Alex had any form of confidence or self-esteem within him, he would have as well. **_‘**T**hink they’re such fuckin’ hot-shit! Fuck them. Fuck them and their petty, bullshit ways! Especially you, Meghan! Fuck you, you conniving, manipulating bitch! I hope your fuckin’ fake-ass horse hair catches on fire!’_**

Alex just hummed in thought, not at all dismayed by Alastar’s angry rant.

Because if he were honest with himself, he too felt that way also.

But that was a story for another time.

The Jocks sat in the very back of the Cafeteria, some high-fiving each other and others making jeers at their fellow students. They were the ones who lived for sports and, in a sense, had more brawn than brains. They were mostly a group of Juniors and Seniors who would use that brawn to bully the lowerclassmen, whether for lunch money, homework answers, or just for the fun of it. You could say they were the male equivalent of the Mean Girls.

And in the center of it all, sat Xavier, reaping in all the attention from his classmates with a smug grin on his face. Like everything was alright with the world.

Like what he did to him didn’t even matter.

**_‘Alex… let’s not do this in front of everyone’_** Alastar warned, their voice trying to placate his now surging emotions, becoming more and more unsteady the longer he gazed at that uncouth mongrel.

He blinked, not realizing his eyes were beginning to cloud over with… something, and took a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly to calm down his heartbeat. _‘I’m fine. I’m fine’_

** _‘… If you’re so sure’_ **

The Goths also sat in the back, but in a corner that was always shrouded in darkness, despite the sun being near its peak. They were a group of highly emotional underclassmen who instead reflected their personality through their clothing, music, or other creative ways. Most groups tended to avoid them, deeming them ‘weird’ for their constant-dark clothing and depressive emotions. Still, despite their drawbacks in the popularity chain, they excelled rapidly in the world of the Arts, whether through writing, dance, or artwork.

_ **‘You know… if you hadn’t met Mel, would you have befriended someone from the Goths?’** _

Alex shrugged his shoulders slightly, not at all sure on how to answer. _‘I mean, honestly… maybe? I mean, it can’t be any worse than what my situation is now, so…’_

He heard Al ‘hum’ in thought, and replied, _**‘****_So_, an indefinite maybe?’**_

Alex grimaced a bit. _‘… maybe?’_

** _‘Alright’_ **

Last were the Geeks, who sat near the entrance of the Cafeteria with a few playing chess and others engaged in role-playing games. They are a highly intellectual group of lowerclassmen who focused more on staying indoors than going out. They excelled in their studies and spent their free time on video games, reading, or role-playing, and as a result, they became entertainment for the Jocks, as well as the Mean Girls.

_ **‘Hmm… What about-’** _

_‘No. Absolutely not’_

_ **‘Well, I tried’** _

As more and more students started pouring in to get some type of nourishment (whether good or bad) into their bodies, Alex and Melinda made their way through the cluster to the serving area to pick up their choice of food, ranging from meat and pasta dishes to a more healthy alternative such as the various salads. Melinda picked an excellent selection of a garden salad, and Alex had his favorite food in hand as soon as the cooks put more out on the counter.

The smell was absolutely heavenly. The rich aroma of the freshly cooked pasta noodles layered around the plate like it was starring in a photoshoot, with the ripe tomato flavoring making the dish glisten in a thoroughly hypnotic fashion.

He would have cried tears of bliss if so many people didn’t surround him, so instead, he let a smile grace his lips, filled with pure, unadulterated contentment.

He may despise this school to every pit of Hell, but he couldn’t deny that the food was utterly to die for.

_ **‘Christ, you’re ridiculous. It’s just food’** _

_‘Well, you wouldn’t be saying that if you could actually eat, now would you?’_

He heard them grumble and felt a bit of smug satisfaction at having won this mini-argument.

Alex, with his hands now full of food, contemplated on whether or not he should sit at his usual place or ask Melinda for her input. Of course, with her mastery of being predominantly timid and ample in stammering, he could say he already has his answer.

Still, despite his thoughts, he asked anyway, just in case she expressed differently. “So, where do you want to sit?”

Melinda looked around, her eyes going back and forth between tables and the social groups before she suddenly gasped and stumbled backward, almost dropping her food in the process.

Alex released a small sound of his own, moving his food into one hand to grab Melinda by the shoulder. “Melinda, are you okay? What’s wrong?” He asked, concern lacing his voice and features.

Melinda closed her eyes and just shook her head in negative, her body shriveling up in what could be… fear? Alex honestly didn’t know.

And he could feel the panic rising inside him. _‘Al, wha… what do I do?’_

** _‘Don’t panic! Whatever you do, just don’t panic! And, uh… just give me a second’_ **

Alex felt his heart stutter in alarm, his eyes as wide as dinner plates at the ridiculous response. _‘A second?!’ We don’t have a second, Al!’_

There was an uncomfortable silence, the type that Alex did not need at the moment since he himself was beginning to freak out as well. _‘Al!’_

** _‘Okay! Okay! Just… try and comfort her, okay? You think you can do that?’_ **

Alex could have ripped his hair out at this point. This was absolutely absurd. _‘Comfort?! I don’t know how to comfort people! I can’t even make myself feel better!’_

** _‘Look, I’ll guide you through it, okay? So stop panicking’_ **

_‘I’m not panicking!’_

**_‘Jesus Christ for fuck’s sake-’_** He heard Alastar cut off abruptly, and suddenly took a deep, unnecessary breath and released it slowly. _**‘_Ei_ther try and comfort her, or stand there and do nothing. Your choice’**_

Alex took a shuddering breath, his nostrils flaring out with the exhale. The thought of making a decision weighed heavily on his brittle shoulders. He wasn’t good with choices, even less with trying to figure out which one was the more favorable option. Even in video games, he lacked any expertise on the subject, and, if push comes to shove, would just outright quit from frustration.

But this wasn’t virtual reality; this was real life, and life didn’t wait for anyone.

Especially not for him.

He sighed deeply, feeling another burden settle on his being. _‘Are you positive that’s going to work?’_ Alex replied, sounding extremely doubtful.

_ **‘As positive as I’ll ever be’** _

He swallowed deeply, following behind it with a sharp intake of air through his nose and letting it out just as quickly. _‘Alright. Here goes nothing’_

With his hand still on her shoulder, Alex led her away from the ever-growing crowd of people rushing to get their food. “Melinda, it’s… it’s okay. It’s okay.” He whispered, rubbing her shoulder for emphasis. “Everything’s gonna be okay”

She sniffled quietly and opened her eyes, the whites of them mostly shrouded in the same color as her face and glasses, with a few stray tears hiding in the corners as if waiting for the perfect moment to fall.

Alex swallowed again to keep his mouth from going dry so he could speak clearly. “You okay?”

She nodded, though her gaze fell to the floor, intense and unwavering with a faraway look in her eyes, putting more focus unto the glimmering white, concrete tiles than anything else.

He moved his hand off of her shoulder and contemplated whether or not if he had left it there for too long or if he should have just let it stay there as a means of comfort.

At this point, he just didn’t know anymore. _‘God, this is giving me a headache’_

** _‘Don’t you dare ruin this! You’re doing too well to mess it all up!’_ **

_‘Alright! Alright!’_ He cleared his throat to hopefully catch her attention and said, “Uh… do you… do you want to sit outside?”

She nodded again, though it was stiff and a bit mechanical, but Alex will nonetheless accept that as a form of agreement between them.

Besides, he likes to sit outside anyway; less noise and even lesser people.

Plus, he even gets a whole table to himself, since no one in their right mind would want to situate themselves with him anyway.

_‘Well…’_ Here, he glances at Melinda out of the corner of his eye. _‘At least, that’s what I had assumed’_

He heard Alastar take a deep breath and release it slowly. **_‘**So**… that was something’_**

Alex huffed in agreement. _‘I’m pretty sure that was more than just ‘something’_

** _‘Oh, no doubt… I’m just wondering what caused it. She was fine literally seconds ago. What even happened to lead up to that?’_ **

He huffed again, with a bit more of an edge to it. _‘I don’t know… but I can’t just ask. That’s too personal of a question, and we only met today’_

** _‘That’s true… though I can’t say that I’m not curious’_ **

_‘And curiosity killed the cat. So don’t go getting any ideas’_

Alastar inhaled sharply as if offended. **_‘__**M**e?! I would never! Don’t you trust me?’_**

_‘Oh, sure’_

** _‘… I can feel your sarcasm’_ **

_‘What? Me? I would never!’_

** _‘Oh hardy har har, very funny’_ **

_‘Thank you’_

_ **‘That wasn’t a compliment’** _

_‘Well, I’ll take what I can get’_

**_‘Ugh, you’re such an ass-’_** Suddenly Alex hit something with his foot, and before he knew it, he went crashing down to the floor, his tray of food spilling all about the ground and some of the spaghetti sauce splashed on his shirt.

In an instant, the Cafeteria went from a turbulent uproar to absolute silence, the type of silence that you could hear a literal pin drop from miles away.

Alex groaned softly from the feeling of his ribs poking his lungs and stood up slowly, now fully aware of his food coloring the pristine floors and the stains beginning to set in his shirt. His heart was hammering in his chest, too fast and too hard he could hear it himself and sucked in a sharp breath of air and let it out through his nose, hoping that it would alleviate it somewhat.

He took notice of the haunting silence and swallowed harshly, a few beads of sweat starting to form on his temples. Once he was on his feet, he glanced around at the many faces and eyes staring him down as one would to the villain of the protagonist.

He felt his breath hitch in his throat, and the sound of his heart beating faster and faster was the only noise he could hear in the deathly-silence of the lunchroom.

He took a glance at Melinda out of the corner of his eye, meeting her shocked expression for only half a second before facing forward again.

And just in time to see a foot retract back from the aisle, and he followed it up to meet a very familiar face.

** _‘Aw shi-’_ **

“You still need to watch where you’re going, _bitch_-boy. Even my foot can’t rest anywhere without you bumpin’ into everything”

Alex felt the panic begin to set in, the familiar being that brought about the bane of his very existence as it raised its narrow head in utter ecstasy once more, treating his anxiety as a delicate feast to savor at every opportunity.

And, not so far behind it, was fear.

He swallowed thickly and stepped back a bit, clenching his hands into unwilling fists to deter the tremors tormenting his body.

Fear was having an absolute field day.

“You gonna apologize properly this time?”

He said nothing, just gazed at him with his thousand-yard stare, the quivers were now intensifying tenfold, and it was getting harder and harder to make them stop.

“Hey!” The voice of an unnamed Jock yelled out, and he flinched because of it. “He said apologize, you asshole!”

“Hey, hey,” Xavier said nonchalantly, waving away the Jocks’ hostile moods. “No need for all that. We ain’t tryna scare ’im off” Then he cut his eyes towards him, and Alex’s breath hitched in unease.

Xavier smiled, but it was far too smug and arrogant to be considered honest and stood up suddenly. He walked towards him, and with every echoing step he took, Alex took at least two of them back.

He heard a loud and disgusting _squelch!_ and it was enough to send him nearly several feet into the air. He looked down, now seeing his old and well-worn shoes mashing his messy creation of freshly ripped out intestines further into the floor.

He didn’t know why, and he will most likely never receive an answer for it, but he stared at it. He gazed upon its unfortunate being as if it had the solutions to his problems, as if it could solve all his hardships and correct his past mistakes on where he went wrong at the beginning of everything.

Well, the answer to that last question was simple.

Never, ever face away from the enemy.

He snapped his head forward with such violent swiftness it was a wonder he hadn’t injured his neck in the process, but none of that mattered at the moment when Xavier was suddenly nose-to-nose with his face, invading his personal bubble without a care in the world.

He gasped and would have stepped back if it weren’t for the unexpected fist clenched tightly into the collar of his shirt, preventing him from making a much-needed escape.

“Listen carefully, bitch-boy, ’cause I’m only gonna say this once,” Xavier whispered, voice low and full of promises of a threat if he were ever to disobey. “I honestly could care less about you and your pussy-ass panic attacks or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, as long as you don’t cross me, we’ll be fine. You got that? Or is that too much for your simple-minded ass to follow?”

Through the intense haze of fear and anxiety now clouding his judgment, Alex could only nod in reply, far too edgy to muster up even a decent response.

Xavier just grunted and pushed him back roughly, releasing his shirt as if it burned, and it took Alex quite the effort not to stumble over his spilled food and fall, which would further humiliate himself.

Xavier returned to his seat as relaxed and casual as can be, as if he hadn’t just blatantly threatened him in front of the entire student body.

But Alex didn’t dwell on it for more than half a second as he walked over to Melinda and, as gently as he possibly could, grabbed her by the shoulders and guided her towards the door that led outside. She was eerily silent despite his forceful behavior, but, once again, he ignored it in favor of getting them to his table as quickly as possible.

“Didn’t know you had a little girlfriend, bitch-boy! Always took you for the type to play for the other team!” Xavier called out, his voice echoing throughout the unnaturally still lunchroom, bouncing off the walls so everyone far and wide could hear, and it didn’t take long for the deafening brash laughter to commence.

His grip on Melinda’s shoulders tighten unconsciously, but he continued his hurried pace towards the exit.

Once outside, he made a beeline for his table, secluded in a tiny area away from the main walkway with a large weeping willow tree providing excellent shade and cover from any prying eyes.

The perfect place to hide away from the world.

He released Melinda’s shoulders and quickly turned around to go back inside the building, his body practically on autopilot. “Here you go. Enjoy your lunch”

He got no farther than three steps before Melinda was calling him out. “Alex, are you okay?” It was said in such hushed tones he barely even heard her.

But he didn’t look back at her, already making his way back to the entrance. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, and enjoy your lunch.”

Anything else that she would have said would have fallen on deaf ears as Alex left her to her own devices.

_~End of Chapter~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope everyone is staying safe indoors and being careful around each other since the world decided to go crazy at the start of a new decade!
> 
> Plus, if you hadn’t noticed, my writing style changes consistently. I write (or type, in this case) at odd intervals, and depending on my mood at the time that is how my writing style will turn out, and with this type of story, that’s actually pretty useful (because the tone will always change).
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the (minor) action that happened in this chapter, and (hopefully) chapter 3 won’t take as long as this one!
> 
> Bye!
> 
> -AJ
> 
> Word Count: ~6,100  
Uploaded: May 16, 2020


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